Trolley catcher and retriever.



No. 778,933. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. G. F. WILSON.

TROLLEY GATGHEB, AND RETRIEVER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 3, 190$.

- G. F. WILSON. TROLLEY- GATGHER AND RETRIEVER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1903.

' Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witnesses ovmw f Patented January 3, 1905.

NTTED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

CHARLES F. WILSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TROLLEY CATCHER AND RETRIEVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,933, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed August 19, 1903. Serial No. 170,030.

1'0 all w/wm, it may concern:

' automatically checking or winding the same under certain conditions. Of these devices those which merely check the rope when the trolley leaves its wire are ordinarily known as trolley-catchers, and those which afterward draw the trolley down are commonly called trolley-retrievers.

My present improvements contemplate the combination of the catcher and the retriever in one structure under novel conditions of operation and construction, and they may be regarded in many respects as improvements on the trolley catcher and retriever shown in my Patent No. 696,781, of April 1, 1902, wherein, however, the retrieving or drawing down of the trolleyis accomplished by winding the trolley-rope upon the outside of the shell which covers the inner and smaller spool;

Among the chief objects of my present invention are-the provision of a simple, eflicient, and reliable means for holding the device in place upon the car for use and so that it may be readily detached when required, the provision of a novel and useful form of locking or setting latch or dog and means for changing the bearing of its spring from one side to the other of its axis for purposes to be hereof construction, operation, and use, my improvements involve certain new and useful arrangements or combinations of parts, principles of operation, and details of construction, as will be herein first fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a section and elevation upon a plane through the axis of the device, the device being shown as supported as upon a car and ready for operation. Fig. 2 is an exterior'top or plan view of the device as it appears when detached from its mounting on the car. Fig. 3.is a cross-section and elevation upon a plane throughline m m of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation of a fragment, showing the manner of mounting and locking the device in place.

In all the figures like letters of reference whereverthey occur indicate corresponding parts.

A is the outer shell or casing of the device, which is intended to remain stationary upon the car when in place thereon for use.

B is a hub at the back of the casing by or through which attachment is made to the dash board or other convenient part of the car.

It is desirable that the device be sustained in a very secure manner and yet be capable of easy removal and easy and quick replacement when necessary. For this purpose I rigidly secure a collar, as O, upon the car, this collar being suitably recessed to receive the hub and the narrow projections a athereon and to permit the projections 66 a to turn to their final positions within the collar. A latch, as b, is hinged on the back of the shell A and in such manner that when the hub is in place and properly turned the latch will project down through an opening 0 in the collar and behind one of the projections 0, thereby preventing the hub from accidentally turning or becoming unlocked. To remove the device from its holding, it is only necessary to raise the latch and turn the shell, when it is easily withdrawn from the collar, and to locate the device in place is correspondingly simple and easy. A small pin, as Z), prevents the latch from passing too far through the slot 0, where it might interfere with the location of the hub in the collar, and this pin also prevents the latch from being turned back too far.

D is a central'stud which operates as an axle for the spool and also for the flanged disk operating in connection therewith, the stud being fixed with respect to the back plate of the shell in any substantial manner. By preference I thread it into the back plate of the shell (see Fig. 1) and then rivet it securely in place.

E is the spool on which the trolley-rope F is wound. This spool turns easily on the stud D and is automatically controlled by a spring G, which is calculated to turn the spool E, so as to keep the trolley-rope taut, but not with sufficient power to draw the trolley down or off the trolley-line. Connected with this spool and so as to revolve therewith around the axle D are two dogs H H, the same being pivoted and connected substantially as shown in Fig. 3, their outer ends being slightly weighted, if necessary, and the arrangement being such that whenever the spool is turned rapidly enough the outer ends of the dogs will by centrifugal force be thrown farther from the center and will swing out to their looking or engaging points. If the trolley rises slowly, the trolley-rope turns the spool slowly and winds the spool-spring, and as the trolley is gradually lowered, as by reason of the position of the line -wire, the spring slowly turns the spool and winds up the trolley-rope, thus always keeping a light strain on the rope or enough to keep it taut. When the trolley leaves or jumps the line-wire, a sudden turn is given the spool through the trolley-rope, and this causes the dogs to swing out and to engage with the nearest abutments or ledges on the flanged disk, thus starting the latter ahead and either bringing the retrieving-spring into action or catching and holding the trolley accordingly as the machine may be set. Before the machine is applied for use enough of the trolley-rope to insure the proper elevation of the trolley is wound upon the spool.

So far as the trolley-line, spool, and locking-dogs arealone concerned they are substantially shown in my previous patent, N 0. 597,159, dated January 11, 1898, and they are not specifically claimed herein. The light spring 0? is merely for the purpose'of keeping the swinging dogs normally in toward the center and away from engagement with the locking-ledges. The tension of this spring is easily overcome by any rapid turning of the dogs.

Within the casingA is a disk I, which, like the spool, is mounted so as to turn easily upon the central stud D, and this disk carries a number of projections or ledges, as e e, &c., arranged to be engaged by the dogs H whenever the latter are thrown outwardly far enough from the axle D It is plain that as soon as this engagement takes place the disk I must revolve (or tend to revolvelwith the spool E, or if the disk be held fast then the spool will be arrested, and the upward tendency of the trolley thereby checked.

K is a strong spring, connected at one end with the stationary casing A, as by a pin f, and at the other in any suitable way with the disk I, preferably with the hub of the latter. The purpose of this spring, which is called the retriever-spring, is when it is free to act to turn the disk and through it and the dogs which connect the two the spool, whereby the rope on the spool will be wound up and the trolley thereby drawn downand away 80 from the line-wire or retrievedfasit is said. The purpose of this movement, as is now well understood, is to prevent damage to the overhanging wires and appliances and to hold the trolley ready for replacement in working position. The disk I in addition to the ledges e e is supplied witha number-of notches or engaging points, as at g g, &c., to receive the end of the locking latch or dog, by which the disk and the retrieving-spring are held fast or afterward released, according to circumstances.

L is the latch or dog for disk I, the same beinghinged or pivoted within asuitable housing, as M, its hinge pin or axis hbeing located a little distance from the nearest extremity of the latch and its-engaging hook being turned down and arranged to pass-v through a slot in the casing A and to enter the notches g in disk I or otherwise toengage low with said disk to hold the same as required.

The retrieving-spring is wound up by the simple expedient of first pulling the trolleyrope rapidly, so that the dogs H will fly outwardly and engage the disk I, and then fu-r- 1 5,: ther pulling the rope until the spring is wound to the desired tension, when the latch L is allowed to drop, so as to engage the disk I and hold it against the tension of the retrieving-spring. When the trolley jumps the line- I wire or otherwise suddenly rises, the dogs H fly out and engage the disk I, causing the latter to turn slightly in the same direction as.

the spool, and this movement is enough to) allow the latch to be freed and raised by the 11-5; spring provided for the purpose Thenthe: retrieving-spring is free to act, and-it turns; the disk I and the spool in the directionnec essary to wind the trolley-rope, and thus draws; down the trolley or retrieves the same.

Theengaging hook t' and notches g and the dogs H and ledges eshould be so fashioned as not to obstruct the backward movement of. disk I or spool E, and this is easily .accom:- plished by inclining the surfaces which might" 3; come in contact on the backward movement of either, substantially as indicated in the drawings. The mechanism for controlling the movements of the dog or latch L is of peculiar operation and construction in order that the latch may at times be held so that its tendency is to rise and at other times so that its tendency is to fall for engagement and always under spring-pressure.

Within the housing M is a turning block N, its axis being about over the hinge-pin it, and within this block and at one side of its axis is a spring Z, arranged topress upon latch L through the medium of a short piston, as m. The block N. is supplied with an attached exterior handle, as n, by which it may be conveniently turned in either direction.

When turned, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring Z presses down on the latch in a manner to keep its hooked end up and out of interlocking position, and when it is in this position the disk I is free to turn, the retriever-spring being entirely unwound, and the device will only act as a catcher, as is sometimes desirable, the sudden tendency to wind the retriever-spring being resisted by force enough to instantly check the upward tendency of the trolley and to prevent it from going farther upward, but not putting the retrieverspring into complete action. On the other hand, if the handle n be turned in the opposite direction, as indicated in Fig. 2, the spring K through its piston bears on the other side of hinge-pin 7i and forces the hooked end of the latch down or into engaging positionl Then the latch will act as a positive stop for the disk I and no forward turning of the latter can take place, and a positive and instantaneous catcher is supplied. It should be understood that the retriever-spring may be left unwound by turning the spool slowly and that said spring is only connected with the spool when the dogs are thrown out by sufficiently rapid movement of the spool. The rope on the spool is always free to pay out or wind up and allows the trolley to keep its position on the line until such time as it may jump off, in which case the catching or retrieving takes place, as before explained.

If it be desired to set the retriever-spring, the handle a is first turned in the direction shown in Fig. 2 and the spring wound, as before explained, the latch automatically engaging the disk I and holding the spring against unwinding. The handle then is turned back to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that as soon as the latch is released from its holding position (by the starting of disk I) its spring will throw it up, and thus cause the disk I to be released, so that the retriever-spring will turn it and the spool then connected with it. After the trolley has been retrieved the device may be set again either to operate as a catcher or retriever, or both.

It is desirable that the movements of handle a be arrested at the proper points, and

for this purpose suitable stops are provided. In the form shown in the drawings, 0 is anarrow ledge on the handle, and this brings up against stops p 12, applied on the housing and at points to arrest the handle at the limit of its travel in either direction.

The spring-chamber in the spool is closed by a removable front plate, as q, and the spool and other parts are maintained in position by a removable bolt, as r, which is tapped into the end of the axle D.

Having now fully described my invention, whatI claim as new herein, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination with the casing, of an interior spool, an interior disk having abutments, dogs carried by the spool and arranged to swing outward and engage directly with the abutments on the disk, and means for checking the disk, substantially as and for the purposes explained.

2. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination with the casing, of an interior spool, an interior disk having abutments and dogs carried by the spool and arranged to swing outward and engage directly with the abutments on the disk, and means for checking the disk, the said disk and spool being mounted to turn upon the same axis, substantially as explained.

3. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination with the casing, of an interior spool, an interior disk having abutments, dogs carried by the spool and arranged to swing outward and engage directly with the abutments on the disk, and a retrieverspring connected with the disk and casing for the purposes explained.

4.. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination with the casing of an interior spool, an interior disk having abutments, dogs carried by the spool and arranged to swing outward and engage directly with the abutments on the disk, and a latch for holding the disk, substantially in the manner and for the purposes explained.

5. The combination with the casing and its hub having the narrow projections thereon, of the recessed and slotted collar arranged to receive and hold said hub and projections, and a latch hinged on the back of the casing for the purpose of entering the slot in the collar and locking the hub therein substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination with the slotted casing and a disk mounted therein, of a hinged latch located on the exterior of the casing and arranged to engage the interior disk through the slot in the casing and a spring for actuating the latch, substantially as shown and described. 1

7. The combination with the hinged latch for engaging the disk, of a spring for actuatinterior spool, an interior disk having abutments, dogs carried by sa1d spool and arranged to swing outward and engage dlrectly with said abutments, a retriever-spring connected with said disk and casing and means for locking said disk in different positions with relation to said casing, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. WILSON. Witnesses:

C. SEDGWIOK, WORTH OSGOOD. 

